Harker PI Chapter 2 The Bat Nest
by Nikki Shand
Summary: Alex puts the house in danger.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 2 Being Human

The Bat Nest

After Rosalyn's visit Alex felt much more cheerful on rising the next morning. For the first time she had a purpose, with Rosalyn's help she would find her body. Alex was therefore rather disconcerted to find that Hal had the same idea.

"It's my body, go clean something"

She had lain all night thinking about Ros and really wanted it to be her thing, their thing, all girls together. She had never had a sister, and no mother to speak of, and now just because Hal had a crush, it would all be spoiled. She could see him now checking his appearance, which was always immaculate despite the fact he had no reflection. Alex figured he had had years of practice dressing without sight of himself and of course he had other vampires to admire him and tell him how he looked.

Alex had to think quickly. She dashed through to the fridge and moved every possible item to a different place then called Hal.

"Do the tomatoes go on the bottom shelf?

"No don't touch the fridge"

She waited a beat and sure enough in came Hal, looking flustered. His face on seeing the inside of the fridge was a picture.

"What the bloody hell have you been doing?"

She knew he could not leave the kitchen now until all was right.

"See you"

Alex smirked as she left the kitchen. She felt excited as she almost ran along the streets. It was the idea of having a plan that did it. Yet the thought of Rosalyn was exciting to. She remembered the girl's touch as she had sat beside her. Was it only the day before? She had thought sitting there in the living room that Ros would kiss her. She had felt her breath so close to her that it had taken all of Alex's restraint not to reach across and take her mouth. Alex could feel butterflies in her stomach and it reminded her of a girl she had liked at school. She had been dark and pretty to but they had stopped seeing each other when Alex's mother had died suddenly and Alex had been taken out of school never to return.

Stopping in her track she laughed.

"What an idiot I can Rent –a –Ghost"

In an instant she was there, outside the guesthouse they had been living in. To her surprise Ros was standing at the doorway and on seeing Alex she looked alarmed.

"I didn't mean to give you a scare"

"Your dad has just left with a policeman, Miss Carmichael has just told me"

"That's good isn't it?

"He was a vampire Alex"

It took a minute for Alex to take the full horror of it in.

"What do you mean, how do you know?

"I can smell it. I never saw them Alex I have no idea where they have gone"

"Where are the boys?

"There inside. He possibly wanted to take your father then come back to get the boys later"

"Bastards" Alex hissed the words out.

"I know where they've taken him"

"We should get help. Can you go and get Hal?

"There's no time"

Whether Rosalyn believed Alex or not she just nodded and then followed. Alex felt slow and laborious now that speed was needed as she had to walk to the warehouse she was sure her father was being kept in and possibly killed. As they arrived at the quayside the realisation of how impossible their situation was at last dawned on Alex.

"Do you have a stake?"

"I have one I carry with me but if there is more than one vampire we're screwed"

Alex decided to rent-a ghost in and see how things were lying. On entering the warehouse she found it almost empty. She let Rosalyn in and they separated and began to search. Wandering through the dusty, stinking warehouse, they became aware of a noise, soft and far off in a back office. Alex tried to think her way to her father but in her confusion found herself in a cupboard. She could hear a commotion outside her tiny prison and on entering the room was in time to see Rosalyn wrestling a vampire to the ground. Alex's father lay on the floor looking pale, eyes closed and for a horrible moment Alex thought he was dead. On reaching him however his eyes open and he looked at her. Alex smiled down at him.

"Thank God you're OK dad"

Mr Taggart's eyes blinked and he looked around seeing Rosalyn trying to raise herself up from the floor and no vampire to see.

"Where's he gone?

"He had to leave Mr Taggart"

"He was a nutter. I realised when I got here he wisnae a Polis man but I figured I should keep calm, Like they tell you Crimewatch"

"You did very well"

Rosalyn attempted to rise again and stumbled.

"My lassie you're hurt"

"It's nothing just a scratch"

Alex all this time was reeling from the knowledge that her father had not even been aware of her presence. Now she looked at Rosalyn and saw the blood running down into her shoe and onto the floor. She had been bitten? Could Werewolves be bitten and survive" Apparently they could because now Rosalyn on the third attempt stood swaying.

"I think we should get you home before anyone else comes"

Alex watched helpless as her father supported Rosalyn as she hobbled out of the warehouse. As they stepped out into the afternoon sunshine Rosalyn stopped and leaned against the wall outside.

Why don't you head home and I will follow Mr Taggert"

"I don't like to leave you"

"Please I will be fine and the boys will be getting worried"

"Aye the boys" Mr Taggart looked at the pale, sweating girl for a moment.

"I'll head back to the guest house and phone a taxi to take you home"

"You do that"

As he walked away Rosalyn turned to Alex.

"Get help"

Alex felt at a loss. She didn't want to leave Rosalyn here without protection but she knew there was little she could do by herself. Reluctantly she transported back to Honolulu Heights and found Hal pacing the living room.

"Where the hell have you been? I went down to the guest house to be informed you had left and told no one where you were going"

"Roz is in trouble"

"What?

"I think she's been bitten by a vampire"

Hal's face tightened and for a moment Alex thought he would hit her and she would deserve it.

"You had better hope you are wrong"

Alex transported back to find Roz crouched against the wall. She looked deathly pale and her amber eyes burned in her dark ringed eyes. Alex crouched beside her and gently stroked her hair. To her shock Roz flinched away.

"Don't my skin hurts"

Hal arrived in a car and he had Tom with him. Kneeling beside her Hal spoke softly.

"We have to move you Rosalyn. It'll hurt but you can't stay here"

Rosalyn nodded and Hal lifted her into his arms as if she weighed nothing. She rested her head against his chest and he gently placed her in the back seat and headed back to Honolulu Heights with her. Alex was already there when they arrived. She noticed that Hal did not look at her but carried Rosalyn up the stairs while Tom found a room for her to sleep in. Alex found herself walking tentatively up behind them. She was sick of Rent -A Ghost for a while. She could hear Hal soft intense voice giving Tom instruction and she stood rooted to the stop.

"Get the restraints"

"Yer kidding mate. She's be fine after a rest"

"If the process doesn't kill her she will change and I for one have no idea what to expect. I have never seen a true Lycan but I suspect we will have one quite soon"

"What does that mean?

Alex could feel her eyes filling with tears, but Hal showed no mercy.

"Thanks to your stupidity, we have a half werewolf, half vampire in the house. If you think I'm vicious and deadly just wait to you see what's to come. You know what they say the female of the species is far deadlier than the male"

With that he walked into room and pulled a chair up to the bedside. Tom arrived with the restraints and he and Hal began to tie Rosalyn to the bed. Rosalyn lay trembling, her skin glistening with sweat. Suddenly a paroxysm of pain sheared through her body and her back arched as she screamed. Hal placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Breath Roz. Breath through the pain"

Alex could stand it no longer and ran from the room weeping. What had she done?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Being Human

The Bat Nest

After Rosalyn's visit Alex felt much more cheerful on rising the next morning. For the first time she had a purpose, with Rosalyn's help she would find her body. Alex was therefore rather disconcerted to find that Hal had the same idea.

"It's my body, go clean something"

She had lain all night thinking about Ros and really wanted it to be her thing, their thing, all girls together. She had never had a sister, and no mother to speak of, and now just because Hal had a crush, it would all be spoiled. She could see him now checking his appearance, which was always immaculate despite the fact he had no reflection. Alex figured he had had years of practice dressing without sight of himself and of course he had other vampires to admire him and tell him how he looked.

Alex had to think quickly. She dashed through to the fridge and moved every possible item to a different place then called Hal.

"Do the tomatoes go on the bottom shelf?

"No don't touch the fridge"

She waited a beat and sure enough in came Hal, looking flustered. His face on seeing the inside of the fridge was a picture.

"What the bloody hell have you been doing?"

She knew he could not leave the kitchen now until all was right.

"See you"

Alex smirked as she left the kitchen. She felt excited as she almost ran along the streets. It was the idea of having a plan that did it. Yet the thought of Rosalyn was exciting to. She remembered the girl's touch as she had sat beside her. Was it only the day before? She had thought sitting there in the living room that Ros would kiss her. She had felt her breath so close to her that it had taken all of Alex's restraint not to reach across and take her mouth. Alex could feel butterflies in her stomach and it reminded her of a girl she had liked at school. She had been dark and pretty to but they had stopped seeing each other when Alex's mother had died suddenly and Alex had been taken out of school never to return.

Stopping in her track she laughed.

"What an idiot I can Rent –a –Ghost"

In an instant she was there, outside the guesthouse they had been living in. To her surprise Ros was standing at the doorway and on seeing Alex she looked alarmed.

"I didn't mean to give you a scare"

"Your dad has just left with a policeman, Miss Carmichael has just told me"

"That's good isn't it?

"He was a vampire Alex"

It took a minute for Alex to take the full horror of it in.

"What do you mean, how do you know?

"I can smell it. I never saw them Alex I have no idea where they have gone"

"Where are the boys?

"There inside. He possibly wanted to take your father then come back to get the boys later"

"Bastards" Alex hissed the words out.

"I know where they've taken him"

"We should get help. Can you go and get Hal?

"There's no time"

Whether Rosalyn believed Alex or not she just nodded and then followed. Alex felt slow and laborious now that speed was needed as she had to walk to the warehouse she was sure her father was being kept in and possibly killed. As they arrived at the quayside the realisation of how impossible their situation was at last dawned on Alex.

"Do you have a stake?"

"I have one I carry with me but if there is more than one vampire we're screwed"

Alex decided to rent-a ghost in and see how things were lying. On entering the warehouse she found it almost empty. She let Rosalyn in and they separated and began to search. Wandering through the dusty, stinking warehouse, they became aware of a noise, soft and far off in a back office. Alex tried to think her way to her father but in her confusion found herself in a cupboard. She could hear a commotion outside her tiny prison and on entering the room was in time to see Rosalyn wrestling a vampire to the ground. Alex's father lay on the floor looking pale, eyes closed and for a horrible moment Alex thought he was dead. On reaching him however his eyes open and he looked at her. Alex smiled down at him.

"Thank God you're OK dad"

Mr Taggart's eyes blinked and he looked around seeing Rosalyn trying to raise herself up from the floor and no vampire to see.

"Where's he gone?

"He had to leave Mr Taggart"

"He was a nutter. I realised when I got here he wisnae a Polis man but I figured I should keep calm, Like they tell you Crimewatch"

"You did very well"

Rosalyn attempted to rise again and stumbled.

"My lassie you're hurt"

"It's nothing just a scratch"

Alex all this time was reeling from the knowledge that her father had not even been aware of her presence. Now she looked at Rosalyn and saw the blood running down into her shoe and onto the floor. She had been bitten? Could Werewolves be bitten and survive" Apparently they could because now Rosalyn on the third attempt stood swaying.

"I think we should get you home before anyone else comes"

Alex watched helpless as her father supported Rosalyn as she hobbled out of the warehouse. As they stepped out into the afternoon sunshine Rosalyn stopped and leaned against the wall outside.

Why don't you head home and I will follow Mr Taggert"

"I don't like to leave you"

"Please I will be fine and the boys will be getting worried"

"Aye the boys" Mr Taggart looked at the pale, sweating girl for a moment.

"I'll head back to the guest house and phone a taxi to take you home"

"You do that"

As he walked away Rosalyn turned to Alex.

"Get help"

Alex felt at a loss. She didn't want to leave Rosalyn here without protection but she knew there was little she could do by herself. Reluctantly she transported back to Honolulu Heights and found Hal pacing the living room.

"Where the hell have you been? I went down to the guest house to be informed you had left and told no one where you were going"

"Roz is in trouble"

"What?

"I think she's been bitten by a vampire"

Hal's face tightened and for a moment Alex thought he would hit her and she would deserve it.

"You had better hope you are wrong"

Alex transported back to find Roz crouched against the wall. She looked deathly pale and her amber eyes burned in her dark ringed eyes. Alex crouched beside her and gently stroked her hair. To her shock Roz flinched away.

"Don't my skin hurts"

Hal arrived in a car and he had Tom with him. Kneeling beside her Hal spoke softly.

"We have to move you Rosalyn. It'll hurt but you can't stay here"

Rosalyn nodded and Hal lifted her into his arms as if she weighed nothing. She rested her head against his chest and he gently placed her in the back seat and headed back to Honolulu Heights with her. Alex was already there when they arrived. She noticed that Hal did not look at her but carried Rosalyn up the stairs while Tom found a room for her to sleep in. Alex found herself walking tentatively up behind them. She was sick of Rent -A Ghost for a while. She could hear Hal soft intense voice giving Tom instruction and she stood rooted to the stop.

"Get the restraints"

"Yer kidding mate. She's be fine after a rest"

"If the process doesn't kill her she will change and I for one have no idea what to expect. I have never seen a true Lycan but I suspect we will have one quite soon"

"What does that mean?

Alex could feel her eyes filling with tears, but Hal showed no mercy.

"Thanks to your stupidity, we have a half werewolf, half vampire in the house. If you think I'm vicious and deadly just wait to you see what's to come. You know what they say the female of the species is far deadlier than the male"

With that he walked into room and pulled a chair up to the bedside. Tom arrived with the restraints and he and Hal began to tie Rosalyn to the bed. Rosalyn lay trembling, her skin glistening with sweat. Suddenly a paroxysm of pain sheared through her body and her back arched as she screamed. Hal placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Breath Roz. Breath through the pain"

Alex could stand it no longer and ran from the room weeping. What had she done?


End file.
